Winning With Him
Page 28
And then it took me actually changing.
Now, here I am.
We walk around the front of his car, link hands, and walk into the fairground.
We aren’t hounded by sports media. There are no news networks here. It’s just a carnival for charity, and as we walk past the ring toss, Grant jerks up his chin, catching someone’s attention. His eyes light up. He lifts his free hand and waves to a toned Black teen with long hair cinched in a ponytail.
“Hey, Topaz,” he calls.
She bounds over, a willowy white blonde by her side.
“Wait! You finally asked out Olive?” Grant asks.
The blonde smiles. “She did.” Olive smacks Topaz affectionately. “Also, you told Grant you were going to ask me out?”
Topaz smiles, owning it. “I did. Showed him your pic. He said, ‘Go for it.’”
Olive smiles at my guy. “Then I owe you a big thank you because I was so shy. I kept hoping she’d ask me to go to this.”
Their eyes drift to our hands.
Topaz shimmies then squeals. “Shut up! Are you two together?”
With pride surging in me, I kiss Grant’s cheek then wrap my arm around his shoulder. “Yes, I’m Declan Steele. His boyfriend.”
She smacks me playfully on the arm. These two are swatters, apparently. A perfect match. Maybe they both like Gossip Girl too. “I know who you are!” Topaz says. “I’m a huge Dragons fan. I was so excited to hear about your trade.” She presses her hands together in prayer. “Please, please, please get us a World Series.”
“That’s the goal,” I say.
Grant bumps his shoulder to mine. “Aww, someone likes the Dragons.”
Topaz waggles her phone. “Can I take your pic? Post it?”
“You better,” Grant says.
With my arm around his shoulders, his around my waist, we smile for the camera in front of the ring toss. It’s a far cry from the picture a fan took in Arizona at a hockey game. We don’t need a cover and won’t ever need one again.
As we say goodbye and walk past an aisle of balloon and dart games, I know exactly what I do need.
Him.
Just him.
Epilogue
Grant
* * *
At the dunk tank, I take aim, and hurl a baseball at the target—my guy.
Declan plunges into the water with a loud splash.
As I crack up, my photographer friend strides up to me, checking the back of his camera. “A fantastic visual record of you annihilating your former teammate at the carnival,” Asher says.
Ah, this will be fun. Another chance to tell our own story. “He’s not just my former teammate. He’s my boyfriend.”
That makes me feel all kinds of proud to say.
Asher asks for details, and I serve them up, since I love sharing that we’re together, then add, “Also, can I twist your arm to take our pic with my phone? I would love to post a really good photo on social.”
“You do know a lot of companies pay me a lot of money rather than twisting my arm,” he teases.
I wink. “And I know you’re not such a dick that you’d charge a friend.”
“Don’t count on that. I might be that big a dick,” he says, as Declan comes over from the tank, drying off.
I grin at the sight of him. Can’t help it.
“You’re far gone for him, aren’t you?” Asher asks.
“All the way.” I hand Asher my phone, then I slide in next to the man who asked for a trade to be with me. The man who put his heart on the line for me.
Like I did for him.
Like I know we’ll keep doing for each other.
We smile, and I can’t wait to share this pic.
Asher hands me back my phone, says goodbye, and takes off. As Declan and I walk through the grounds, we run into Jason, the high school quarterback.
“Hey Grant,” he says, then nods at Declan. “Is this your . . . ?”
Declan jumps in with the answer. “Yes, I’m his boyfriend.”
The smile on Jason’s face is another reason why I do what I do. He hangs with us, taking a pic, as we make our way to the pie toss.
And then my face becomes the recipient of key lime, lemon meringue, and cherry too as carnival goer after carnival goer steps right up. When it’s Jason’s turn, he lands a coconut cream pie right on my face.
I wipe the coconut cream off my nose, shaking a finger at him. “Your aim is way too good.”
“Let’s hope it’s good. That’s the job at QB. But . . . want me to throw another? I think there was a key lime pie somewhere.”
“I don’t think that’ll be necessary, but I appreciate the offer.”
“Anytime,” Jason says with a smile, then heads off to join some friends, while Declan strides over to me now that my time is done at the pie toss.
“You look so cute with coconut cream on your face,” he teases as I wipe off the pie as best I can.
“Why don’t you lick it off?” I ask.
He looks at the people milling around us. “I would, but there’s no way I could lick your face without everybody knowing just how dirty I want to get with you later.”
“Fair enough. Want to ride the Ferris wheel instead?”
“Is it your Suck-Me-Off-In-the-Sky Ferris Wheel?”
“Later, it can be.”
“I’m in,” he says.
We make our way over, and as we wait in line, I post the picture Asher took of the two of us, tagging the Alliance and the carnival.
Declan does the same.
But we aren’t the only ones. Topaz and Olive posted pics. So did Nico. Jason too.
Reminds me of the night I won Rookie of the Year.
Only, it’s even better because the picture is of us.
We get on the ride. As the Ferris wheel climbs, I wrap an arm around my guy, checking out the view—the ocean to the left, the Golden Gate Bridge standing tall over the Pacific, all the city at our feet.
When I first fell for Declan, we weren’t outside like this. We weren’t holding hands in public or riding high in the sky. We were sneaking into hotel rooms and parking on dark streets.
That was exhilarating. Intoxicating. And looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing.
We have two love stories. Our first was young, wild love—sexual love. We still have that last part down pat.
But we also have so much more. A love that runs deep, a love that steadies and centers us. In our second love story, we have this real life. This real love. This home we share.
When I look back on my five-year plan, this was the one thing missing—a plan for soul-deep, passionate, beautiful love.
But maybe you can’t plan for that. But when you find it, you keep a hold on it.
Grab your chances when they come.
I’ll take all my chances with Declan Steele.
* * *
Grant and Declan’s love story isn’t over! Be sure to grab the full-length novel ALL IN WITH HIM and find out what new hurdles your favorite guys face as they navigate the challenges of life together. ALL IN WITH HIM is available everywhere and you won’t believe what happens next!
All In With Him
Once upon a time all I needed was baseball, friends and extracurricular activities. Then everything changed when Declan Steele stormed into my life and upended all my priorities with his heart, his love, his passion.
So my next five-year plan will include this new ground rule—Love big.
Only, that’s easier said than done when my man and I come face to face with hard truths and new troubles about what it means to be all in.
That’s when I learn that finding love isn’t the hardest part.
Keeping it is.
* * *
Grab ALL IN WITH HIM now!
***
River and Owen’s story comes next in the sexy, flirty, snowed-in, friends-to-lovers novel THE BROMANCE ZONE, available everywhere.
* * *
Intrigued by Asher St. James?
His sexy story is coming in the novel THE BEST MEN in January 2022. You will flip when you hear all the juicy details about this book, so don’t delay! Sign up to be the first to receive an alert about this sexy, enemies-to-lovers, nerd-jock contemporary romance, and be sure to check out the teaser below.
* * *
Be sure to sign up for my mailing list to be the first to know when swoony, sexy new romances are available or on sale!
* * *
The band mentioned earlier in the book, Night Darling, is an LA-based synthpop group who you can follow on instagram @nightdarlingmusic for more information.
Teaser from The Best Men
Asher St. James
* * *
“But we’re not even at the best part of your epic rant.” I inhale deeply, savoring what’s to come. The piece de resistance.
Mark Banks knocks back his orange juice and kudos to the man. He’s taking the text message reenactment like, well, like a man.
I brandish my phone, savoring every single second. “Anyway, whose hair looks like a shampoo commercial? Who takes off his shirt at a dinner party? Who has a body that annoyingly perfect? He’s not even real. He’s like a fucking comic book hero in those graphic novels I used to read. Here he comes...FLIP’S SUPER HOT...WINGMAN! Asher with his stupid hair and stupid lips and ridiculous body. Who even looks that good in real life, Hannah? No one. Just no one.”
There’s more, but really, I need to bask a little longer in the glow of compliments. I tap my lip. “You’re right, Banks. I do not at all require an apology for this ode to me. In fact, I ought to give you a thanks,” I say, bringing a hand to my heart. “This made my week.”
“You’re welcome,” he snarls.
I should let him off the hook now.
Circulate a bit here at the party.
And yet, I can’t just drop it. Everything I thought I knew about Mark Banks is suddenly in question...
* * *
Sign up to be the first to receive an alert about this sexy, enemies-to-lovers, nerd-jock contemporary romance.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading the Men of Summer series. This story is near and dear to my heart for several reasons. I was raised in the '70s and '80s by a gay father and a straight mother and I love being able to create the equal worlds in my fiction that didn't quite exist back then. As a fierce LGBTQ ally, I firmly believe in marriage equality, LGBTQ equal rights and that love is love. I am honored and humbled to have readers and listeners who want these kinds of stories, and I promise to keep telling them.
* * *
On another note, while this is a romance with a happy ending, it tackles a serious topic in Declan's father's battle with alcoholism. Many of the situations Declan faced with his father were loosely drawn from my own experiences growing up with both close and extended family members battling alcoholism. I also researched alcoholism, spoke with counselors who counsel recovering addicts, and talked to recovering alcoholics to understand other experiences of alcoholism as well. Ultimately, everyone's experience of alcoholism is different and if you have experienced loving and caring for a family member who is or was an alcoholic, yours may be different from what I saw and what Declan saw, but all are valid.
* * *
There are many support organizations dedicated to helping both the person suffering with this disease as well as family and friends.
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) –
• 888-486-0889
• 12 step program for alcoholics
• https://www.aa.org/
* * *
Drug and Alcohol Hotline for Rehab/Treatment Referral Service: 1-800-662-HELP
* * *
Al-Anon and Alateen
• 1-800-356-9996
• https://al-anon.org/
• https://al-anon.org/newcomers/teen-corner-alateen/
• Programs for families and children of alcoholics (meetings and resources are available to help the loved ones of an alcoholic learn to cope)
* * *
SMART Recovery
• https://www.smartrecovery.org/
* * *
Women for Sobriety
• https://womenforsobriety.org/
• 215-536-8026
• Offers the ‘New Life Program’ helping women overcome alcohol/drug use
* * *
SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration)
• https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
• 1-800-662-HELP (4357)
• Offers treatment in alcohol, drugs, behavioral health, suicide prevention, and veteran crisis assistance
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Abiding thanks to Tina M. for helping compile this list.
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Contact
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